SDR vs BDR: what is the difference?
The difference is the direction of the work. Where a company splits the titles, an SDR follows up on inbound leads, people who already showed interest, and a BDR starts conversations with companies that have not. Both qualify prospects and book first meetings for an account executive, and many companies use the two titles for one job.
SDR and BDR side by side
In short, following ZoomInfo's description of the two roles:
| Compared | SDR | BDR |
|---|---|---|
| Starts from | Demo requests, downloads, signups | Accounts that have not engaged |
| Main channels | Fast replies to inbound | Cold email, cold calls, LinkedIn |
| Hands off to | An account executive | An account executive |
ZoomInfo also notes that "definitions vary by company and job posting, some organizations invert these roles entirely, and many use both titles interchangeably."
Is one more senior than the other?
No. In ZoomInfo's words, "Neither role is higher in seniority," and both "commonly progress to Account Executive (AE)." Salesforce describes SDRs as doing "a mix of inbound and outbound presales work," which is one reason the titles blur.
Which one do you need?
If leads already come in and wait too long for an answer, the inbound job comes first. If they do not come in, someone has to start conversations, and that is the outbound job.
Before you hire, write down the work instead of the title: who the person writes to, how they qualify, and what counts as a meeting. That last part is your held meeting definition.
What does each one cost?
That depends on your pay, tools and results. The SDR cost calculator takes your SDR pay, tools and held meetings and gives your cost per held meeting, next to Dylan's price.
Sources
- SDR vs. BDR: Key Differences, Roles, and When to Hire (ZoomInfo)pipeline.zoominfo.com
- What is a Sales Development Representative (SDR)? (Salesforce)salesforce.com
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